Alligator-wrench.



B. F. McCRAITH. ALLIGATOR WRENCH.

APPLiCATlON FILED 1ULY22. 1918.

1,304,584, Patented May 2 7, 1919.

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BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MCCRAITH, 0F LARK, NORTH DAKOTA.

ALLIGATOR-WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2'7, 1919.

Application filed July 22, 1918. Serial No. 246,132. a

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN McC-narrH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lark, in the county of Grant, State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alligatorrenches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is an improvement in tools and has particular reference to a wrench.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved wrench of simple, effective and inexpensive construction wherein the jaws thereof are so formed as to render the tool adaptable to various uses such as a nut and pipe wrench.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions one of which, for the purpose of illustrating the invention, is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

'Figurel is a side elevation of the wrench constructed in accordance with the inven tion.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view showing the adjustable auxiliary jaw or bit member of the wrench in inoperative position.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing said auxiliary jaw in its operativeposition.

Fig. & is a perspective view of the auxiliary jaw.

The wrench is shown in what is now believed to be its preferred form which comprises a handle portion 5 upon one end of which is formed one of the main jaws 6 having a straight gripping edge or surface I 7 at the inner end of which is disposed a pair of pivot ears 8 between which is pivoted the other main jaw 9 of the Wrench. The gripping edge 10 of the jaw 9 is preferably serrated to form a better gripping surface which cooperates with the surface 7 to grip a pipe or nut.

In order to adjust the jaw 9 relative to the 'aw 6 there is provided a screw member 11 mounted in the handle portion 5 and extending laterally therefrom and provided with a milled head 12 reset within the handle portion whereby the screw member may be rotated. The shank 13 of the jaw 9 has connected thereto for sliding movement thereon a clip 14 having a screw threaded opening 15 forreceiving the screw member 11 so that when said clip is rotated said clip will be adjusted longitudinally thereof and move the jaw 9 about its pivot between the ears 8 and toward and away from the jaw 6.

The jaw 6 is preferably enlarged as indicated at 16 and is provided in its enlarged portion with an elongated recess extends obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the jaw and the outer endof said recess opens upon the gripping surface 7 of the jaw and the outer end thereof. The inner end of the recess 17 communicates with a non-threaded opening 19 which extends through the enlarged portion 7 in alinement with the recess 17 and opens upon a shoulder 20 having a cutaway portion or recess 21 contiguous thereto. The recess 17 is preferably rectangular in formation and has slidably mounted therein an auxiliary jaw or hit member 22 provided with a gripping surface 23 and the outer end of said auxiliary jaw is beveled as indicated at 24. Extending from the inner end of the jaw 22 in alinement with the longitudinal axis thereof is a screw threaded stem or shank 25 mounted in the opening 19 and projecting beyond the outer end thereof. A milled nut 26 is threaded upon the projecting end of the stem or shank 25 and engages the shoulder 20-and also the recess 21 which latter prevents accidental detachment of the head or nut 26 from the stem and maintains said nut in such position that rotation thereof will cause an adjustment of the stem 25 and consequently the jaw 22 longitudinally in the recess 17. tion shown in Fig. 2 with the auxiliary jaw 22 located within the recess 17 and in its -inoperative position, the device is best adapted as a pipe wrench but should it be desired to adjust thev same to a nut wrench, the nut or head 26 may be rotated to adjust the jaw 22 outwardly and longitudinally of the recess to the position shown in Fig. 3 with the 17 which- Then the parts are in the posiouter end of the jaw 22 projecting beyond adjustment through the medium of the connection so that by turning the nut 12, the jaws are not only adjusted to beheld in adjusted position but may be employed to engage a pipe when the auxiliary jaw 1s disposed or confined within the jaw 7, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. However, when the auxiliary jaw 22 is adjusted in a manner shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings so as to project from the working face of the jawet', it will be disposed substantially paral lel to the working face of the jaw 9 so as to effectively grip a nut or other object of polygonal cross section.

.Vhat is claimed is p l. A wrench of the class described comprising a pair of main nected at adjacent ends thereof and disposed with the gripping faces thereof in divergent relation, one of said main jaws and movable obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis and gripping surface thereof and provided with a gripping surface adapted to cooperate with. surface of the other main aw the gripping and adapted to lie substantiallyparallel thereto when adjusted to project from the jaw by which it is carried.

:2. A wrench of the class described comprising cooperating main jaws having gripping surfaces disposed in divergent relation,

one of said jaws having .a recess arranged obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof, one end of said recess opening upon the gripping surface of said jaw, the latter jaw also having a nonthreaded opening communicating with said recess and extending longitudinally thereof, a stem Copies of this patent may be obtained for five'cents each, by addressing the aws pivotally con-- and an adjustable jaw carried by with the gripping III tQSt-HIIODY whereof, I aflix my signature,

mounted in said non-threaded opening and adjustable longitudinally thereof, and an auxiliary *jawcarried by'one end of said stem and slidably mounted within said recess and adapted to be positioned entirely therein when in its inoperative position, said auxiliaryjaw being adjustable to its opera- I tive position by the adjustment of said stem ping face of SZLlCljELW substantially parallel to the gripping face of the otherjaw and spaced therefrom.

a. In a wrench, the combination with pivoted jaws ofa pipe wrench and means to adjHSlJfl-IIClzllOlCl the same in adjusted position relativetozone anotherg-of an auxiliary jaw of polygonal cross-section adjustable movablyintoandout of the other jaw through the gripping face thereof andzadaptedwhen projected to disturb the line of continuity of the gripping face of: the jaw by which it is carried so-as tolie substantiallyparallel face of the other jaw.

in the presence of two witnesses BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MOCRAITH.

Witnesses F.J. SIMoNITsoH, V: C. GRACE.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.!

project from the grip 

